Paul J. Danis

Paul was born on March 31st, 1939, in Burlington, Vermont. He was the sixth of seven children born to Arthur Danis and Alice Lacourse Danis, and grew up surrounded by a loving family with a proud Catholic, French-Canadian heritage. He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1957 and subsequently served his country in the National Guard in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Paul married Ellen Fitzpatrick Danis, on February 23, 1963, and together they raised four children. He was a successful family businessman, managing the A. Danis Cash Market in Burlington’s Lakeside neighborhood from 1960-1969, and afterwards running Danis Delivery in South Burlington for over 30 years. Paul and Lessie met in The Villages, Florida, and were married there on December 27, 2004. Together, they enjoyed traveling and spending time with their beloved dog, Roxy.

Paul was a natural athlete, a sports enthusiast, and a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. He played in the 1957 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl all-star football game, and later excelled in slow-pitch softball, winning state championships with Acme Glass and competing in New England regional tournaments and the Burlington International Games. A long-time member of the Burlington Country Club, he was an avid golfer whose skills remained sharp into his later years. He especially enjoyed competing in his Villages golf group and the McKee's Pub & Grill Annual Golf Tournaments. Paul was inducted into the Rice-Cathedral Athletic Hall of fame in 1996.

Paul’s most enduring qualities were his love for the Lord, his devotion to family, and his kind, compassionate, and outgoing nature. He spent many years as an altar server at St. Vincent de Paul Church, in Wildwood, Florida, and was a devoted volunteer at The Wildwood Soup Kitchen, where he drew on his prior experience as a National Guard cook to provide tasty meals, hospitality, and companionship to those in need.

Paul was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Ellen Danis; parents Arthur and Alice Danis; brother Claude Danis; sisters, Norma Daley, Gisele Fleming and Jeannine Dattilio; brothers-in-law, Michael Dattilio, Charles Cobb, Kenneth Sikora and Marshall Fleming; and sisters-in-law, Beverly Danis, Susan Danis, Barbara Cobb, and Joan Danis.

Paul is survived by his loving wife, Lessie; his four children, Wade (Ildikó), Scott, Heather, and Troy (Kristie) Danis; and six grandchildren Hillary, Hannah, Kornél, Renato, Marinn, and Remmy. He also leaves behind his brothers Leon (Pedie) and Al Danis; brothers-in-law Paul Michaud and Charles Daley; sisters-in-law Katherine Michaud, Patricia Sikora, Jane Fitzpatrick, and Marie Danis; and many nieces and nephews. He will also be greatly missed by Lessie’s children Michael (Laurel), Chris (Michelle), Randy (Miranda), and their families, and countless friends and neighbors.

A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, March 9th, at 11:30am, at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, located at 5323 E. CR 462 in Wildwood, Florida (www.sumtercatholic.org), with a buffet lunch reception to follow at Dignity Memorial Life Celebration Center, located nearby at 7134 Powell Rd (www.dignitymemorial.com).

A Vermont memorial service, interment ceremony, and celebration of life reception will take place at St. John Vianney Church in South Burlington, Vermont, in summer 2022.